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25 Jun 2008

GREENS WILL STAND FOR CIVIL LIBERTIES IN HALTEMPRICE AND HOWDEN

Well I had to work quite hard to get the national party to reverse a decision and allow Shan to stand. Now we have to give our full support.

After a democratic debate inside the Green Party about whether we should stand in this by-election, I’m thrilled to announce that today the national party gave the go-ahead to us standing in Haltemprice and Howden, after I was selected last night by the local party to contest the seat against the Conservatives’ David Davis on July 10th.

That’s 16 days time!

Our constituency-wide leaflet is due to go to the printers tomorrow, and we’re starting campaigning in earnest. Any offers of campaigning help can be directed to Martin Dean at sokuto12@sokuto12.karoo.co.uk

The Green Party have today launched their Haltemprice and Howden by- election campaign.

Green Party Principal Speaker Derek Wall has backed local education and environment activist Shan Oakes to contest the election. Shan has lived in East Riding since 1975, where she was an English teacher for many years and is one of the founders of Voice International, an organisation working to promote sustainability through education and is Chair of the Trustees of the Development Education Centre.

Leading Greens will be joining the Shan on the campaign trial in the next few weeks, including Dr. Wall, human rights spokesperson Peter Tatchell, target Parliamentary candidates Darren Johnson AM and Cllr. Adrian Ramsay, and prospective MEP candidates Peter Cranie and Cllr. Rupert Read.

Dr. Wall said

"This by-election was supposed to be about civil liberties.

"But it's been called by a man - David Davis - who thinks it's okay for the government to lock you up for four weeks without even telling you what you're supposed to have done.

"David Davis also believes that you should have no right to criticise the government within a mile of Parliament.

"He believes that if a child is being bullied for being gay, his school should not have a policy to protect him.

"And he believes that a judge should be allowed to kill you if he thinks you've committed a serious crime.

"So the Green Party had to stand. Someone had to stand up for civil liberties."

4 comments:

Anonymous
said...

I'm so pleased that a real supporter of Civil liberties is standing. I hope that real supporters of Human Rights rally around her. Lib Dem voters must be outraged that their central party is supporting a rightwinger like Davis.

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About Me

I am a green activist, writer and economist. Three kids, live in Winkfield. Live low impact on the land in my trailer, I am a Green Party local councillor. Ecosocialist and fan of Elinor Ostrom, have worked closely with the Peruvian indigenous leader Hugo Blanco to fight.